I found the below on another site. Looks like some of the top 24 have past pro experience.

Quote:

Among the suspicious singers in the Idol season 7 running are Carly Smithson, who was once signed to MCA Records under the name Carly Hennessy; Michael Johns, who used to front the major-label rock band the Rising under the name Michael Lee; onetime Star Search winner David Archuleta; former Boys N Girlz United boyband singer (and Britney Spears's ex-boyfriend!) Robbie Carrico; Cheyenne cast member Jason Castro; Making The Band also-ran Jason Yeager; former Arista Nashville signing Kristy Lee Cook; and Mo'Nique's Fat Chance plus-size beauty pageant winner Joanne Borgella.

yea isn't that the whole idea of the show? haha. then again being signed is one thing, actually having any sort of career with it is another. tons of people get signed just to have their albums shelved and their names heard by nobody. so maybe that could be the case in some of these.

i think it's ok if they had some exposure to the music scene in their lives...as long they're not actually having an on going successful career in it already. they should still be elligible for AI...there's nothing like getting on AI and getting exposed practically to the whole world and then having an album after that..coz it's a sure hit, fan base's already there. so actually AI's concept is really smart.

if the contestants were seriously successful they wouldn't need to be on the show. every rising artist tries to put them selves out there whether it's AI or not; I think it's perfectly fine that some of the contestants have tried to do other things before AI.